Liverpool 3 Cardiff City 1 (Feb 6 2022)

[tlw content]

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

That was really enjoyable. Not the first half, but that was only ever going to be a prelude to the real event which was Harvey coming back and Diaz getting a run out. Be honest, when you saw the team and the subs I bet your first thought was “Diaz and Elliott on the bench, can’t wait to see them get on”. 

 

The hope obviously would be that we were a few goals up when they came on and had Jota taken an early chance we probably would have been. We started well and that would have been a sensational goal, but it didn’t go in and the longer the first half went the more stable we started to look. Hardly surprising, it feels like weeks since we last played and we know it takes a game or two to shake the cobwebs off.

 

The good thing was that we had a cup game at Anfield against a Championship side in which to do it, and not only that, but because of how the fixtures have worked out Klopp was able to go close to full strength for a cup tie, which is a luxury he rarely has.

 

For all the talk of him not taking the cups seriously, when cup ties have fallen in a fairly relaxed period of the fixture list Jurgen has usually gone strong with his team. He doesn’t play ‘weakened’ sides just for the fun of it, there’s usually a valid reason for making changes. This year it’s been different. 

 

You go with kids and fringe players in the early rounds against opponents where you know that will be enough, but in previous years we’ve then ended up getting a stronger opponent in a period where it wouldn’t be sensible to go full strength because of other, more pressing commitments. Usually we’ve lost those games, and it could have gone the same way this year only we had that great comeback against Leicester and then won on pens.

 

And since then, the fixture list wasn’t congested at all and we’ve gone really strong in all the cup games, including this one. Sadio and Mo were unavailable and Fabinho was left out after only just coming back from international duty, but aside from that Klopp had all of his main players in the squad. 

 

There was still a bit of rotation with Konate and Tsimikas getting a start ahead of Matip and Robbo, but there’s a big difference between doing that and throwing in a Rhys Williams or an Owen Beck for example. This was close to our best team and even though they didn’t perform like it, it was what we needed because we will - hopefully - reap the benefit of that against Leicester on Thursday.

 

We always need a game like this just to get us back into the groove again. Think how bad we were against Arsenal in the first leg. I said after that I wasn’t worried about the second leg because by then we’d have played another game in between and would be back up to speed, and we were. 

 

So although the first half against Cardiff was patchy (I say that because it wasn’t all bad and we put together a couple of great moves) we were much better in the second half (after the subs came on) and all in all it was a very good day for us.

 

Jota bagged another goal, Taki got one too (which just always makes me smile) and then we had the moment everyone had been hoping for. I’ll get to that in due course though.

 

The first half had some interesting moments at both ends. The Jota chance was a big moment as it came early while Cardiff were hoping to just bed in and weather the early storm. If that goes in they may have buckled, but after a Fowler-esque turn Diogo produced a most un-Fowler like finish by smashing it straight at the keeper.

 

He didn’t look up because if he had he’d have seen the keeper had gambled and had already started diving to his left. If Diogo had looked up he could have just rolled it in the other side, which no doubt Robbie would have done. I’ll say it again, Jota is Fowler without the genius but with a healthy helping of snide.

 

Why do I keep mentioning Fowler? Because I’ve been comparing the two for ages and now it seems like loads of others have got onto it. That was my thing, so I’m going to continue to milk it. That ok with you? Just remember where you heard it first. I mean fucking hell, maybe it’s just me but it even feels like he’s starting to physically look like Robbie. 

 

 

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[DalyanPete]

Feeling the Suarez vibes myself.

Great shout on the song as well.

[alles ist gut]

Top, top “we might be bastards but don’t call us English” analysis there, Dave.

[Barnesey]

I remember when Suarez joined, before we realised what we had, there were one or two special moments - the goal at Sunderland for example - that excited me. I’m hoping that assist from the new Luis is the first indication we have signed another very special player

[King Kenny 86]

Harvey scores and the attacking lads all round him. First to hug him (or very nearly first) Milner. He fckin loves Harvey, surrogate dad. What a top professional to have mentoring you.

Frightening future when Carvalho turns up in the summer.

What a time to be a red

[Butch]

Nice report dave. Jota is so much like fowler, he's movement and that header was just like Robbie. Luis is going to be a special player for us, just imagine defences trying to cope with not just doubling up on mo but we can have Luis on the other side causing the same amount of chaos. Exciting times ahead. Harvey is something else I've not been as excited about a young player coming through since fowler. 

[Guest]

 

[dockers_strike]

Top reporting there, Dave. To be honest, I didnt see any difference between the Cardiff Konate penalty shout and the Jota one at Spurs. Both pens in my humble opinion. I agree on another day, Kelleher could have been shown a red but the fume it caused made the yellow worthwhile!

 

Ive absolutely no doubt after their abject surrender to Forest that we'll see the same leicester ay Anfield on Thursday as we did at their place when they were flinging themselves in front of everything. Bunch of twats. And to think Jermain Beresford(?) tipped them to knock us out of the top 4 in the league? Fucking joker.

[Anubis]

The size of Elliot next to Van Dijk.

[Stouffer]

Elliot has great feet, so good that Quentin Tarantino is probably considering making a documentary about them.

[Ipplfc]

Good report that,let’s hope in the next round we see the new Luis terrorise Norwich like the old Luis did

[DaveT]

13 hours ago, dockers_strike said:

Top reporting there, Dave. To be honest, I didnt see any difference between the Cardiff Konate penalty shout and the Jota one at Spurs. Both pens in my humble opinion. I agree on another day, Kelleher could have been shown a red but the fume it caused made the yellow worthwhile!

 

Ive absolutely no doubt after their abject surrender to Forest that we'll see the same leicester ay Anfield on Thursday as we did at their place when they were flinging themselves in front of everything. Bunch of twats. And to think Jermain Beresford(?) tipped them to knock us out of the top 4 in the league? Fucking joker.

I wouldn’t have been surprised if the penalty had been given, but I don’t agree it was similar to Jota at Spurs. The reason if probably wasn’t given was that it was crystal clear that the Cardiff guy was looking for it, in fact it was the only thing on his mind. Jota, on the other hand, was steadying himself , ready to shoot, when he was taken out from behind. 

[dockers_strike]

5 minutes ago, DaveT said:

I wouldn’t have been surprised if the penalty had been given, but I don’t agree it was similar to Jota at Spurs. The reason if probably wasn’t given was that it was crystal clear that the Cardiff guy was looking for it, in fact it was the only thing on his mind. Jota, on the other hand, was steadying himself , ready to shoot, when he was taken out from behind. 

Fair enough, we'll agree to differ. Id also point out that the officials said the reason Jota didnt get a pen at spurs was because they said he 'was looking for it' as well. All the pundits chipped in with that as well.

[DaveT]

17 minutes ago, dockers_strike said:

Fair enough, we'll agree to differ. Id also point out that the officials said the reason Jota didnt get a pen at spurs was because they said he 'was looking for it' as well. All the pundits chipped in with that as well.

I thought Tierney actually said ‘he slowed up’ , implying ‘looking for it’ . Of course anyone who understands football (ie not Paul Tierney) could see Jota was readying himself for the shot. 

[Guest]

21 hours ago, Stouffer said:

Elliot has great feet, so good that Quentin Tarantino is probably considering making a documentary about them.

Katie Price is charging extra to OnlyFans members who want photos of her feet.

 

Harvey Elliott’s feet could save/make the club millions.

[Total Longo]

Didn't know you had a dog, Dave.

[El Rojo]

Great stuff, Dave.

 

You're wrong on the Fowler/Jota thing though - pretty sure I started it before anybody else on the planet but you're welcome to ride shotgun on my bandwagon.